Andrea Mantegna’s Lamentation over the Dead Christ

 

Andrea Mantegna’s Lamentation over the Dead Christ is a tempera painting on canvas, likely created in the late 15th century. Mantegna painted this work in Mantua, where he was a court artist for the ruling Gonzaga family.  The painting is now in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan, but where it was meant for is unknown. Unlike many religious paintings from this period, which were commissioned for churches or private chapels, there are no records confirming who commissioned this work or where it was first displayed. Some scholars have suggested it may have been intended for private devotion, while others believe it was part of a larger altarpiece that was later separated.

The painting follows the Christian tradition of depicting the Lamentation, a moment after Jesus’ crucifixion when his followers mourned his death. This scene was commonly painted during the Renaissance and was included in church decorations, altarpieces, and religious panels. The composition emphasizes Jesus' humanity by focusing on his body rather than surrounding narrative elements.

Andrea Mantegna’s painting shows Jesus reclining in a foreshortened pose, where his feet are closest to the viewer and project forward. His wounds from the stigmata are visible on his hands and feet. On the left side, Mary leans over him in mourning. Jesus has been removed from the cross and is about to be placed in the tomb.

The way Mantegna uses foreshortening makes Jesus look different from how the body would appear in real life. He probably does this out of respect to the viewer and Jesus.  (Who wants dirty feet in their face.)  A true foreshortened view would make the feet seem much larger compared to the rest of the body. A student drawing on the right side shows this effect—wherethe feet in the foreground are very big while the head and book in the background appear much smaller. Mantegna does not exaggerate the feet this way, likely because making them too large would shift attention to them rather than the rest of the scene. Adjusting the perspective this way makes the image more balanced for the viewer.

Jesus' drapery is also carefully arranged, outlining his body. Art historian Leo Steinberg discussed this in his book The Sexuality of Christ, arguing that some artists emphasized Jesus’ human form to show that he had a physical body like any other man but chose not to give in to earthly temptations. This follows ideas from Platonism, where physical beauty and spiritual purity are linked. Jesus’ muscular body resembles classical Greek sculptures, showing a connection to humanism and Renaissance interest in ancient art.

Foreshortening was a challenge for artists, and different techniques were used to get proportions right. Leon Battista Alberti, an early theorist on perspective, wrote a treatise explaining how artists could use mathematical systems to depict depth. Later, in the 1520s, Albrecht Dürer, a German artist, created diagrams showing how to measure foreshortened objects accurately. One method, called squaring up, used a grid on paper and a wire veil to help artists copy what they saw more accurately. By keeping their eye in the same position and drawing each section of the grid separately, they could create a more realistic sense of depth.

Another illustration shows an artist using a similar device to draw a lute in perspective. A recreation of this tool in the lower right corner demonstrates how it worked. These perspectivetools helped Renaissance artists experiment with linear perspective and create more convincing space in their paintings.

Mantegna and other artists of this time adjusted foreshortening and perspective to fit their artistic and religious goals. While they were interested in reviving classical techniques, they also made changes to ensure that their work fit with Christian ideas and respect for the viewer. Many of these techniques, like linear perspective and careful use of chiaroscuro, became standard in later Renaissance painting.

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